Motor-sleigh.



- M. P. MARONG.

MOTOR SLEIGH. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, 1912.

LQQQMQQD Patented June 12, 1917.

4 SHEETSSHEET I.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY M. P. MARONG.

MOTOR SLEIGH.

I APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, I917. mm wo Patented June 12, 1917.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

" f? W 5/ f 27 INVENTOR 1/1}? Maw 021 9 ATTORNEY M. P. MARONG.

MOTOR SLEIGH. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16,1917.

Patented June 12, 1917.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3- LQQQQQQO INVENTOR ATTORNEY M. P. MARQNG. MOTOR SLEIGH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16. 1917.

L w w Patented June 12, 1917.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY a an area.

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MO'EQBFSLEIGH;

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To all whom it may comer 2.: Be it known that I, MICHAEL P. MARoNe, a citizen of the United States residing at Rock Glen, in the county of Wyoming and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Motor-Sleighs, of which the following is a specification. 4

This invention comprehends the provision of a motor operated sleigh, and embodiesapropelling mechanism capable of adjusting itself to roadconditions, that is to say.

. that the machine can travel over irregular bodies a .plurality of propelling arms adaptsurfaces and obstructions in the road, with- -out undue jar or vibration to the mechanism, or the occupants of the sleigh.

More specifically stated the invention emfrom the ground or surface, which distance must be varied in accordance with the road conditions, and consistent with thedepth at which it is desired to have the propelling members penetrate the. snow or ice covered surface.

With these .and other objects in view which will appear as the invention is better understood from the following detail description, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this specification like numerals of reference in-' dicate similar parts in the several viewsand wherein a Figure 1' is a side elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with my inven:

- tion.

Fig. 2 is a, top plan iew of (me of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12,;1l9ilt.

' Application filed February 16, 1917. Serial no. manta rear runners showing the operating mechanism.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view showing a side elevation of one of the rear runners.

/ Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional vview taken on line 4.4 of Fig. 2. k

Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 6-6"of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line Fig. 8 is a detail view'partly in section of the swivel connection between the propelling members.

Fig. 9 is a viewof the steering knuckle for the front runners.

4 Referring to the drawings in detail A indicates generally the body of the sleigh which is mounted upon the chassis 'or frame B, the front runners being indicated at G, the rear runners at D, while interposed between the respective runners and the chassis B are springs E preferably of the elliptical type. The machine is preferably provided with a front axle and steering knuckle of the type commonly employed with motor.

ve icles, and illustrated in Fig. 9, to facilitate steering of the sleigh, the axle being indicated at 1 0, and the steering knuckle at 11 It is understood that the steering mechanism does not form any part of this invention, and that any suitable steering mechanism inay be. employed.

his is clearly obvious the propelling mechanism is supported upon the rear runners of the sleigh, and rising from each of said rear runners is a guide 12, the guides being disposed in alinement and are provided for the regeption of bearings 13, inv which one of the shafts 14: is'journaled. There are two shafts 14, the remaining one of which is journaled in bearings 15 mounted upon the runners, the shafts l l as shown being disvposed in parallelism.

Each 'of the shafts 14: is provided adjacent each end with a'series *of crank portions 16, while operatively associated with each crankportion of the respective series, is a propelling arm 17, the latter having a relatively large lower extremity or ground" engaging portion, 18 from which depends a plurality of spurs 19. It will benoted that the crank portions 16 of each series,

are disposed obliquely, and preferably at right angles to each other, so that the propelling arms are, successively brought into engagement with the. ground or surface, with a view of propelling the sleigh without sudden jerks, jumping or bucking of the sleigh. Again, the propelling arms 17 on one shaft are connected with the .propelling arms on the other of the said shafts 14, through the instrumentality of a sectional rod or the like, the respective sections 20 of each rod having their adjacent extremities threaded into a sleeve-like member 21 in the manner to provide a swivel connection between each pair of propelling arms of the respective shafts 14. In

this manner certain arms of one shaft are.

brought into engagement with the ground or surface simultaneously with certam of the propelling arms 17 of the other shaft, which provides a propelling mechanism positive and efiicient for the purpose 1ntended.

'Keyed or otherwise suitably secured to the foremost shaft 14, is a beveled .gear 22, which meshes with a similar gear 23 carried by the shaft 24, the latter being connected, preferably by means of a universal joint 25 with the main driving shaft 26. It is of course understood that the latter mentioned shaft is operated by a motor power, and

" that the foremost. crank shaft 14- is simultaneously. operated through the gearing connection between these respective shafts. Carried upon the extremities of each of the shafts 14 are toothed gear wheels 27 over which is trained a chain 28 whereby the rearmost shaft 14 is operated simultaneously,

with the first mentioned shaft 14 and which latter is connected with the main driving shaft 26, as will be readily'understood. 'A

pluralityof links 29 are pivoted upon the shafts 14, and are also pivotally connected together. Carried by the 1 links at their point of pivotal connection with'each other are toothed gear wheels 30 over which the chain 28 is also trained, the gear wheels 30 constituting idlers andserving to hold the chain taut under all conditions.

Pivotally mounted upon a bracket 31 rising from each of the rear runners at an appropriate point, is a bell crank lever 32.

Depending from the extremity of one branch 33 of each lever, and pivotally associated therewith, is a substantially L-shaped arm 34. The short terminal of the arm carries a bifurcated block 35.for the reception of a base 36, which latter supports one] or more coil springs 37, the springs being propelling mechanism toyield in accommo-.

dating itself to the irregularities in the surface over which the sleigh is being pro pelled. In other words when the propelling arms are brought into engagement with high places, or humps in the road, one of the shafts 14 together with the propelling mechanism yields to permit the machine 'to pass over the irregularities with undue jar or vibration to*the mechanism, or to the occupants of the sleigh. In addition to these facts, the swivel connection provided by' the sectional rods 20 permits the machine to assume an inclined position at one side or the other, without subjecting the propelling arms or any of the component 39 which rises from the runner as clearly. shown in Figs. 3 and 5, Leading'from the interposed between the base and the bear link 39 is a rod 40 connected with a suitable hand operated mechanism such as a lever 41. for rocking the bell crank lever 32 on its fulcrum, with a view of raising or lowering the propelling mechanism. A pawl and ratchet mechanism is associated with the lever 41 so as to hold the parts in adjusted position. Manife'stly the propeller arms can be arranged at different distances from the ground or surface, it being understood that this distance can be varied consistently with the condition of the road, and

of course may be varied in accordance with the depth at which it is desired to have the propellingmembers penetrate the snow or ice covering the surface, in obtaining anefiecti-ve purchase upon the latter. J ournaled uponeach guide for the bearings 13, is a pulley 42 over. which is trained a flexible element 43, one end of the latter being connected to the adjacent bearing 13, while the opposite end of the flexible ele- 'ment is connected to the branch 33 of the bell crank lever. It isv obvious that the 'flexibl e element 43. serves to maintain the bearlngandats associated parts in operative position, should for any reason the coil spring 37 become broken or otherwise in-* jured, it being understood that the coil springs provide the main support for the bearings.

Mounted upon the foremost shaft 14 is a brake drum 44 preferably embodying a pair of mating sections clearlyillustrated in Fig. 7, while surrounding said drum is a brake band 45. These parts are of the ordinaaenee' nary well known construction, such as used m automobile construction, and. do not form crank shafts 14 are rotated in unison, s0

that the propeller arms of the respective shafts are successively brought into engagement with the ground or surface in series, adjacent the opposite sides of the machine, whereby the machine or sleigh is propelled over the surface with the desired smoothness;

However when it is desired ,to "stop the slelgh the same is readily accomplished by throwing out the clutch (not shown) which as will be readily understood disengages the main driving shaft 26 from the motor power, and subsequent to this operation, an appllcation of the brake will serve to stop the sleigh. As above stated the brake mechamsm is identical with that employed in autcmobile construction, and a detail descrip tlon of its constructionand operation is not deemed necessary, and has therefore been omitted. w 4

While I have shown and described What nowconsider the preferred embodiment (if the invention, I desire to have it understood that I do not limit myself to this precise that such changes may be resorted to whenconstruction and arrangement of parts, and

desired as fall within the scope of what is claimed. 7

' What is claimed is 1. The combination with a sleigh having rear runners, of propelling mechanism including spaced parallel shafts journaled between said runners, one of said shafts being y eldably supported, each shaft having a se- .r1es of crank portions adjacent its opposite ends, propelling arms depending from said cranks, and motor operated means for simultaneously rotating said shaftsrfor the purpose described.

2. The combination with a sleigh having rear runners, of propelling mechanism ineluding spaced parallel shafts journaled between said runners, one of said shafts being yieldably supported, each shaft having aseries of crank portions adjacent its opposite ends, prope ling arms depending from said crank portions, a swivel connection between the said propelling arms of the re-' spective shafts, and motor operated means for rotating said shafts as and for the purpose described. j r I 3. The combination with a sleigh having rear runners, of propelling mechanism ineluding spaced parallel shafts journaled between said runners, vertically disposed guide members carried by the runners, bearings for one of said shafts being yieldably mounted in said guides, each of said shafts having a series of crank portions adjacent its opposite ends, propelling'arms depending from said crank portions, the arms of the respec-' tive shafts being connected in pairs, and

motor operated means for simultaneously rotating said shafts for the purpose described.

4:. The combination with a sleigh having rear runners, of propelling mechanism including spaced parallel shafts j ournaled between said runners, one of said shafts being yieldably supported, each of said shafts havng a series of crank portions adjacent its opposite ends, propelling arms depending from said crank portions, gears mounted upon the extremities of said shafts, motor operated means for rotating one of said shafts, a chain trained over said gears whereby the other of said shafts is rotated simultaneously with the first mentioned shaft, and means for holding said chain taut.

5. The combination with a sleigh havingrear runners, of spaced-parallel shafts journaled between said runners, one of said shafts being yieldably supported, each of said shafts having a series of crank portions adjacent its opposite ends, propelling arms depending from said cranks, gears fixed 1 0 upon the extremities of said shafts, a main driving shaft operatively connected with one of the crank shafts for rotating the latter, a chain trained over said gears whereby the other of said crank shafts is rotated simul- Y taneously with and from the first mentioned shaft, a plurality of links pivotally mounted parallel crank shafts mounted for rotation,

one of said shafts being journaled in said bearings, each of said shafts having crank portions, propelling arms depending from said crank portions, and manually operable means for adjusting said bearings and their associated parts to vary the distance of the propeller arms from the ground or surface, and means for holding said parts in adjust- 1 5 ed position.

7. The combination with a sleigh having rear runners, of Vertically disposed guide members carried by the runners, bearing blocks yieldably mounted in said guides,

5 spaced parallel shafts mounted for rotation, one of said shafts being journaled in said bearings, each of said shafts having crank messes portions, propelling arms depending from said crank portions, and means for holding 4 said bearings against casual displacement in 10 event said yieldable supporting means hecomes broken.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MICHAEL P. MARONG. 

